Sylvie Willis
The amount of fuel consumed per day per bunker varies depending on the type of vessel and its size. Bunker fuel, also known as marine gas oil, is used by maritime boats and ships to power their motors. Larger ocean-going vessels typically use heavy fuel oil (HFO), while smaller vessels may use diesel. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has implemented regulations to reduce sulfur emissions, causing a shift towards lower-sulfur distillate fuels like marine gas oil. As of 2020, ships must comply with sulfur content limits in their marine fuels or retrofit their vessels with filters to meet emission standards. The global shipping fleet's high-sulfur fuel oil consumption is estimated at 4 million barrels per day, with a significant portion expected to decrease due to regulatory changes.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| What is bunker fuel? | Marine gas oil used by maritime boats and ships to power their motors. |
| Types of bunker fuel | Marine gas oil, heavy fuel oil, intermediate fuel oil 180 (IFO 180s), and intermediate fuel oil 380 (IFO 380s). |
| Usage | The current global shipping fleet consumes around 4 million barrels per day of high-sulfur fuel oil, such as heavy fuel oil. |
| Environmental impact | The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has implemented a 0.50% global sulfur cap on marine fuel emissions to reduce sulfur oxide in the air. |
| Spills | Bunker fuel spills can have severe ecological consequences, depending on the type of petroleum product and its relative toxicity and environmental persistence. |
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What You'll Learn
Bunker fuel is marine gas oil
The name "bunker fuel" comes from the storage area within a boat or ship where fuel is stored, known as the "fuel bunker". Bunker fuel refers to any fuel type stored in a ship's bunker or fuel tank. Depending on the vessel, bunker fuel may refer to white diesel or marine gas oil (MGO), which is also known as low-sulphur fuel oil (LSFO).
Marine gas oil is a type of bunker fuel used by maritime boats and ships to power their motors. It is considered a low-sulphur fuel oil, with a sulphur content of no more than 0.5%. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has recently announced a global sulphur cap of 0.5% on marine fuel emissions to reduce the amount of sulphur oxide in the air, which came into effect on January 1, 2020. This regulation will ultimately require all waterborne vessels to switch from heavy fuel oil (HFO) to marine gas oil or risk fines or detention.
Larger ships that travel the high seas generally use heavy fuel oil, but there are plans to limit its usage and move towards using marine gas oil in the future. Heavy fuel oil contributes significantly to GHG, sulphur, and other emissions that negatively impact the environment and human health. Marine gas oil, on the other hand, is a lower-sulphur distillate fuel that meets the criteria of the new IMO regulations.
Marine gas oil is widely used by marine vessels and is available for delivery across the UK, with suppliers able to provide quantities ranging from 205 litres to 100,000 litres. Bunker fuel is generally inexpensive when purchased in bulk amounts over 1,000 litres.
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Bunker fuel powers maritime motors
Bunker fuel is a marine gas oil used by maritime boats and ships to power their motors. The name "bunker fuel" comes from the storage area within a boat or ship where fuel is stored, known as the fuel bunker. The amount of fuel consumed by maritime vessels varies depending on factors such as the size of the vessel, the speed of the vessel, and the type of fuel used.
Larger commercial ocean-going vessels typically use heavy fuel oil (HFO) to generate power, making it the most widely used type of bunker fuel. However, there are plans to limit the use of HFO due to environmental concerns and move towards using marine gas oil, which is a lower-sulfur distillate fuel. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has announced a global sulphur cap of 0.50% on marine fuel emissions to reduce the amount of sulphur oxide in the air. This regulation came into effect on January 1, 2020.
The practice of slow steaming has also emerged as a way to reduce fuel consumption and cut costs. Maritime shipping companies adopt slower speeds, such as during the financial crisis of 2008-2009, to optimise fuel efficiency. Slow steaming involves adapting engines designed for higher speeds to run at around 80% of their full power capacity. This practice has become the new normal and is expected to impact supply chain management and maritime routes.
While bunker fuel is essential for powering maritime motors, it also poses environmental risks. Operational discharges of oily tank washings from tankers are a frequent source of marine spills, and the severity of ecological damage depends on the type of petroleum product spilled. Bunker fuel spills can have significant impacts, as seen in the case of MV Golden Trader, where approximately 150 tons of bunker fuel were spilled, with oil reaching the Swedish shore and affecting approximately 15 km of the shoreline.
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Bunker fuel types depend on the vessel
The name "bunker fuel" comes from the age of steam-powered ships, when the coal used to fuel vessels was stored in coal bunkers onboard. Now, ships have fuel tanks, but they are still referred to as bunkers. Thus, the name doesn't refer to the type of fuel the vessel uses, so the fuel type can vary depending on the vessel. Bunker fuels are part of a broader family of fuels known as "fuel oils".
Fuel oils can be divided into two broad categories: distillates and residual fuel oils. Distillate fuel oils are produced by conventional distillation and are cleaner-burning. Examples of distillate fuel oils included in ISO 8217:2017 are category ISO-F- DMX, DMA, DMZ, and DMB fuels. In addition, there are categories ISO-F-DFA, DFZ, and DFB that can contain up to 7% fatty acid methyl ester (FAME). Residual fuel oils, on the other hand, are the remnants of the refining process and are often blended. They are considered the “crudest” and “dirtiest" of the fuel oils used at sea, typically containing various compounds such as aromatics, sulphur, nitrogen, and wax. Due to the presence of wax, some fuel oils must be heated to maintain sufficient viscosity.
The majority of larger commercial ocean-going vessels currently rely on heavy fuel oil (HFO) to generate power, making it the most widely used type of fuel for these vessels. However, HFO is highly polluting, contributing to respiratory diseases and acid rain, which damages vegetation and wildlife. Due to these environmental concerns, there has been a growing shift towards cleaner alternatives, such as LNG, hydrogen, ammonia, and biofuels. By 2030, it is predicted that 10% of the global shipping fleet will be powered by LNG.
In response to increasing environmental regulations, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has implemented a 0.50% global sulphur cap on marine fuel emissions that went into effect on January 1, 2020. This regulation requires ships to use marine fuels with a sulphur content of no more than 0.50% (ULSFO fuel) or to retrofit their vessels with filters that reduce sulphur emissions when using regular bunker fuel. As a result of these new regulations, shipowners are now required to switch from HFO to marine gas oil (MGO), a lower-sulfur distillate fuel that meets the criteria of the new regulations.
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Heavy fuel oil is commonly used
Heavy fuel oil (HFO) is the most widely used type of fuel for large commercial ocean-going vessels. It is a highly viscous residual oil that is left over from the refining process after gasoline, diesel, and other light hydrocarbons have been extracted from crude oil. HFO has a high sulphur content, typically above 0.5%, which means it releases sulphur dioxide when burned. This has been linked to a range of environmental and health issues, including air pollution, acid rain, and respiratory diseases.
Due to these concerns, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has introduced new regulations that will ban ships from using fuels with a sulphur content above 0.5%. This will require a switch from HFO to marine gas oil (MGO), which is a lower-sulfur distillate fuel that meets the criteria of the new regulations. The current global shipping fleet consumes around 4 million barrels per day of high-sulphur fuel oil, but this demand is expected to decrease significantly as the new regulations come into effect.
The transition to MGO may pose challenges for vessel owners, as they will need to adapt their engines and fuel systems to accommodate the new fuel type. However, the shift towards lower-sulphur fuels is expected to have significant environmental and health benefits, reducing air pollution and its associated impacts on human health and the environment.
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Marine gas oil is a lower-sulphur alternative
Marine Gas Oil (MGO) is an ultra-low-sulphur fuel that is considered a new range of fuel in the marine industry. It is a distillate fuel that has been refined and can be a neat distillate or a hybrid blend of gas oil and residual oil. MGO is a low-sulphur alternative to Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO), which is currently the most widely used type of fuel for large commercial ocean-going vessels. HFO is inexpensive, typically 30% cheaper than distillate fuels such as MGO, but it has a high emission of sulphur oxide, which has serious environmental and health impacts.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has recognised the detrimental effects of sulphur emissions and has been working to reduce them. In 2005, IMO set a global limit of 4.50% mass/mass (m/m) sulphur in fuel oil, which was lowered to 3.50% m/m in 2012. In 2015, the limit for Emission Control Areas (ECA) was reduced to 0.10%, and in 2020, the global limit was lowered to 0.50% m/m. Ships that do not comply with the regulations face stiff penalties, including being declared unseaworthy.
The new regulations have significant implications for the shipping industry, as the current global shipping fleet consumes around 4 million barrels per day of high-sulphur fuel oil. However, the switch to low-sulphur fuels such as MGO is expected to reduce the demand for high-sulphur fuel oil by around 3 million barrels per day. To comply with the regulations, ships can either switch to low-sulphur fuels or retrofit their vessels with filters that reduce sulphur emissions when using regular bunker fuel.
The shift towards low-sulphur fuels like MGO is a positive step towards reducing the environmental and health impacts of the shipping industry. While MGO may be more expensive and require special management due to its low viscosity, it is a more sustainable option that aligns with the IMO's efforts to reduce sulphur emissions and improve air quality.
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Frequently asked questions
Bunker fuel is the name given to the fuel stored in the bunker or fuel tank of a ship. The name of the fuel differs depending on the vessel. For example, some watercraft use diesel, while larger vessels use marine gas oil (MGO) or heavy fuel oil (HFO).
Heavy fuel oil is a highly polluting fuel with high sulfur content. Marine gas oil, on the other hand, is a lower-sulfur distillate fuel. Due to its lower sulfur content, MGO is considered a more environmentally friendly alternative to HFO.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has implemented a global sulfur cap on marine fuel emissions, limiting the sulfur content in marine fuels to 0.50%. Ships can either switch to low-sulfur fuels or retrofit their vessels with filters to comply with the regulations.
